Mainland H.S. Pitcher Chase Petty Earns Prestigious Invite

Chase Petty, a junior right-handed pitcher at Mainland Regional, has been selected to participate in the Major League Baseball PDP (Prospect Development Pipeline) league this summer in Santa Clara, Calif., according to Mainland Athletic Director Mike Gatley.

Petty was officially invited through a video message from former Seattle Mariners star Harold Reynolds, who now is an MLB analyst for the MLB Network.

“You’re right on track. You’re one of the top 80 high school juniors in the country, and now you’re being invited by me, through the commissioner’s office, to the PDP. The PDP is the top 80 high school juniors in the country. It’s going to be in Santa Clara, California, this year from June 20 to July 8. You go compete with the best guys in your class, ” Reynolds said in the video clip. “Then, after that, they’re going to select 40 players and take them to Los Angeles to play on July 10 in an All-American game with the top juniors in the country. Congratulations, Chase.”

The Prospect Development Pipeline is a collaboration between Major League Baseball and USA Baseball to establish an official identification and player development pathway for amateur baseball players in the United States, according to mlb.com.

Petty is one of the top high school pitchers in the country and this past September was named to USA Baseball’s U17 National Team Development Program. Last spring, the Somers Point resident helped lead Mainland to a 17-6 record despite missing the first month of the season due to injury. He hit better than .400 while playing shortstop, and also struck out 30 batters and gave up just one earned run in 19 innings, and also twirled a no-hitter against Holy Spirit. His fastball has reached as high as 94 miles-per-hour and he has a devastating slider.

The U17 program ultimately is a tryout for the U18 team, which will travel the world, including stops in South Korea and Taiwan.